Red, Black & Blue

Black Mormon candidate Mia Love hits the national stage at RNC

Mayor of Saratoga Springs, Utah Mia Love speaks during the Republican National Convention at the Tampa Bay Times Forum on August 28, 2012 in Tampa, Florida. Today is the first full session of the RNC after the start was delayed due to Tropical Storm Isaac. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Mia Love, the 36-year-old black Mormon woman running for a U.S. House seat in Utah, officially launched onto the national stage Tuesday night with a speech at the Republican National Convention that mixed her own personal story with sharp attacks on President Obama.

“President Obama’s version of America is a divided one — pitting us against each other based on our income level, gender, and social status. His policies have failed! We are not better off than we were four years ago, and no rhetoric, bumper sticker, or campaign ad can change that,” she told the cheering crowd in Tampa. “Mr. President I am here to tell you we are not buying what you are selling in 2012.”

She added, “The American Dream is our story. It is a story of human struggle, standing up and striving for more. It’s been told for over 200 years with small steps and giant leaps; from a woman on a bus to a man with a dream; and the bravery of the greatest generation, to the entrepreneurs of today.This is our story. This is the America we know because we built it.”

Her speech, which lasted less than five minutes, came after a short video that showed Love and her life as mayor of Sarasota Springs in Utah. Love was one of several non-white speakers on the convention’s first night, as the GOP tried to show its diversity.

How the speech will affect Love’s career remains unknown. Despite the national attention she has drawn because of her unique background, Love is still way down in polls to incumbent Democrat Jim Matheson, who has served in the Salt Lake City-based Second District in Utah since 2001.